How to Talk About Volunteering on Your CV: Tips and Examples.

CVs allow you to outline your academic achievements, relevant skills and work experience. But did you know that volunteer work is often just as valuable? Listing volunteering on your CV can showcase your transferable skills and any interests you have outside of the industry.

Read on to discover how to include volunteer work on your CV, what to include, top tips, examples and more. Curate your volunteer work into a valuable part of your CV with templates and examples from Adobe Express.

Why should you include volunteering experience on your CV?

To make your CV stand out, it can be useful to think outside of the box. If you’re particularly fond of giving back to the community, including volunteering experience on your CV can make a world of difference.

Here are some key reasons for creating a CV with volunteer experience:

• Shows valuable real-world experience. Having volunteer work on your CV can demonstrate that you’re community orientated and you’ve gained real-world experience working with people from diverse backgrounds.
• Highlight different types of skills. You might have gained skills through volunteering that may otherwise not be included in your work experience. Add them to your CV to show that you’re a well-rounded candidate.
• Could give you an edge over other candidates. If your volunteer work has equipped you with expertise relevant to the position you’re applying for, this could set you apart from other applicants and bring your application higher up the pile.
• Fills gaps in your employment. Volunteer work on your CV can help to fill employment gaps. This is particularly useful if you’re unemployed for a certain amount of time or a student writing a CV with no experience.

How and where to include volunteer work on a CV.

Volunteering is a rewarding experience that illustrates a lot about your character, so it deserves to be highlighted. How you choose to list volunteer work on your CV depends on your preference and the type of CV you’re writing.

Here are a few different ways to include volunteering in your CV.

List it as part of your work experience section.

If your volunteer experience is relevant to the job you’re applying for, it could be worth including it in your work experience. Use the same format you would for previously held jobs, including the dates you volunteered, the organisation or charity name, and a bulleted list of your achievements.

You can list your role as ‘volunteer’ along with any additional titles held. If you were in a management or leadership position, such as ‘volunteer project coordinator’ or ‘volunteer shift manager’, be sure to include this as well. Volunteering experience in this section of your CV is also ideal if you have little to no experience or wish to fill the space in your CV.

Weave into your skills section.

Linking your volunteer experience to the skills section on your CV can demonstrate your capabilities related to the role. If you improved or gained crucial skills through volunteer work, such as great communication, organisation or teamwork, then include these skills in the volunteer work description.

Read the job description of the role you’re applying for to identify the most important skills. You can then highlight the transferable skills gained from your volunteer experience to real-world experience. If your skills section is a bullet point list, consider expanding on these transferable skills with a brief description.

Mention it as one of your hobbies.

You might also consider including volunteer experience in the list of hobbies on your CV. This is particularly handy if the volunteering position isn’t entirely relevant to the role you’re applying for, but you wish to display your interests.

For example, mentioning that you were a workshop facilitator may not relate to your desired role, but it does showcase your leadership, creativity and people management skills. It also signals that you spend your time proactively – whether it’s supporting a charity or assisting with special events.

Create a dedicated volunteering experience section.

Dedicating an entire section of your CV to volunteering experience can be helpful to set you apart from other candidates or provide helpful context for employers. Create a section titled voluntary experience and list your most recent position first, working your way backwards. This can go underneath your work experience section if it’s highly relevant, or towards the bottom of your CV if it isn’t.

Examples of volunteer work on your CV.

A CV with volunteering experience can make a real difference when applying for jobs. How you write about your volunteer work depends on the stage of your career and the industry you’re applying for.

Here are some examples of how to write about volunteering work on your CV, for inspiration.

Volunteer work in your professional experience section.

Volunteer Teaching Assistant, ABC Primary School, 2022-2023:

Supported teachers with classroom activities, offering individual and group assistance to students. Demonstrated strong interpersonal and communication skills to create a supportive learning environment. Helped with school event planning, student mentoring and developing educational materials.

• Contributed to 20% improvement in students’ reading comprehension through personal tutoring and mentoring.
• Helped plan a successful school fair that attracted over 500 people and raised £2,000 for educational resources.

Volunteer work in your hobbies section.

Volunteering: I volunteer at Paw Charity Shop once a week, managing shop operations such as inventory control, visual merchandising and customer service. Recently organised a successful charity event that raised £1,500 for animal welfare and improved the shop's visual displays and layout, which lead to a 20% sales increase.

A dedicated volunteering section.

Outreach Volunteer, EarthGlobal Initiatives, 2020-2022:

• Collaborated with a diverse team to organise a cultural festival which attracted 500+ attendees, fostering a sense of community and promoting diversity and inclusion.
• Successfully engaged with neighbourhood associations and stakeholders to adjust projects and meet community needs. Resulted in 20% fewer martial-related delays through safe handling and transportation of building supplies.

Editable CV template ideas to showcase your volunteer work.

5 tips for talking about volunteering on your CV.

Listing volunteer experience in your CV shows your ability to apply relevant skills to real-world settings, as well as your commitment to the community and supporting good causes.

Here are five tips to keep in mind when writing about volunteering on your CV.

1. Include all the relevant information. For each volunteering experience, include the title of your role, the organisation, and approximate dates (including the month and year). Provide a brief description of what you did in bullet point list form for easy digestion.
2. Explain the purpose of the role. Don’t assume that employers reading your CV understands the context of the volunteer role. Detail the experience and your key responsibilities, as well as relevant skills you gained. Be clear and concise and avoid complicated jargon.
3. Highlight your achievements. Include relevant facts and hard figures, for example, the number of clients supported, or the amount of money raised.
4. List awards and recognition. Don’t forget to include any awards, nominations or special recognition you’ve received. You could also reference any memberships, training or qualifications you obtained while volunteering.
5. Tailor each CV accordingly. Consider how your volunteering experience relates to the roles you’re applying for. Apply the keywords from the job description to your volunteering positions for relevance.

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Good to know.

Should I include volunteering on my CV?

Absolutely! Volunteer work on your CV can be just as important as your skills, education and experience. This is incredibly valuable for your CV if you have little experience but want to demonstrate your real-world skills and interests.

Create your own CV with a dedicated volunteer section today.

Does volunteering count as part of my employment history?

Yes, volunteer work can apply to your work history if it’s highly relevant to the job you’re applying for. This should follow the same format as your paid positions, with a brief description of the role and achievements in bullet points. Browse our CV templates and highlight your volunteering experience.

Is Adobe Express free?

Yes, our free plan offers many core features including thousands of templates, photo editing and effects, animation, and 5GB of storage. See our  pricing page for details and to compare plans.